


Infirmary

by WeezlBot



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Crying, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, One-Sided Attraction (sort of?), Self-Harm (because I don't know why), Three Days in the Infirmary (Percy Jackson), another fucking three days in the infirmary fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-08 07:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19865944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeezlBot/pseuds/WeezlBot
Summary: It's a three days in the infirmary fic.That's about it.It is also canon compliant.Please read the tags and notes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First multi-chapter fic on AO3! Woo. Also, fair warning. This was the second fic I wrote for PJO some 3-4 years ago. I wrote the night parts (yes, there will be night parts) before I wrote the day parts (day parts were written about a year or so after night parts), so if there are vast lapses in quality, that is why. I'm trying to edit this as I go (all my fics are written in Google Drive and then copy-pasted here), but I still can't guarantee that there won't be anything egregious.

DAY ONE

Nico di Angelo sat nervously on a chair in the infirmary. He was waiting for Will Solace to come out from treating one last patient, his last one, he said. He didn't know why he had butterflies when all he had to do was lie in a bed for three days, but he did.

The door opened and a blond head with freckles splashed across the nose and cheeks poked out. “Alright, Nico, you can come in now. Sorry for the little delay, I just had to get Cecil Markowitz out of here.”

Nico frowned. “Cecil didn't get hurt in the battle, did he?”

Will sighed exasperatedly. “He messed up his Achilles. I fixed it three days ago. The thing is, Cecil has this _thing_ that he does where he fakes these really gory injuries using stage blood and plastic or animal guts. Then he has Lou or the Stolls carry him in, and… well… let's just say that Cecil is a very good actor, so...”

“Wow. That sounds extremely annoying,” Nico replied.

Will chuckled. “Tell me about it. Now come with me.”

Nico followed. He was led to a small room with a hospital-style bed, a scale, a stool, and a table covered in antiseptic paper with some medical doodads on it. “Sorry about this,” Will said. “We aren't a real doctor's office, not really, so I don't quite have everything that a regular doctor's office would have. I have to improvise sometimes.”

“That's… worrisome.”

“I'm sorry. I promise I won't do anything weird to you.”

“Thanks.” 

“If you don't mind, could you leave your sword on that hook there? I don't like weapons in my infirmary.”

“... Fine,” Nico grumbled, putting his sword on the hook in question and turning back to the medic.

“Now, can you stand on the scale for me, please?” Will asked. Nico grunted a little and stood on the scale, purposefully not looking at the number. 

Will looked down and felt a jolt. _That can't be right,_ he thought. _My scale has to be broken. There's no way he only weighs 73 pounds. He’d be dead if he was only 73 pounds._ “Well, uh… would you sit on the bed and take off your shirt for me? I'd like to check you for injuries.”

“Excuse me?” Nico did not like this, not at all. 

“I'm sorry, but the only way I'll be able to see and treat your injuries is if you remove your shirt. I don't like it any more than you do, but this part is necessary. I do this to everyone.”

“Even the girls?”

Will nodded. “Even the girls.”

That reassured Nico somewhat. “Okay, but this never leaves this room, okay? You'll regret it if it does.”

“Okay, okay,” Will chuckled.

Nico blushed and pulled his shirt over his head. Will's chuckle died in his throat. His heart stopped. _That scale… that scale wasn't broken. It wasn't broken. Holy shit, it wasn't broken._ Will steadied his breath. “Okay. As soon as we're done here, we're gonna get you a nice hot meal, okay? Does that sound nice?”

Nico didn't want to admit it, but it did. “Yeah… if you insist…”

“I insist. You are just too underweight. It's a miracle you're still alive. You need to eat. See?” Will prodded Nico's stomach with one gloved finger. “Abdominal distention. You're malnourished.” Will didn’t quite understand why Nico seemed reluctant to eat. He didn’t deal with too many anorexic males, so he didn't think that that was the answer. 

Nico looked down. He didn't think he could tell Will what he had been through to make him so skinny. He couldn't relive it again. It would end him. He was just starting to recover, thanks to Reyna. He couldn't relive what hurt him like that again. So his only response was a quiet “Yeah, I know.” 

“Just one more question, you did eat on the statue quest, correct?”

Nico nodded.

“Good.” Will pulled out a bottle of rubbing alcohol, a cloth, and some gauze. He wet the cloth with the alcohol and began to rub the cuts down with it, getting them ready to be bandaged. “And are these _claw marks_ on your arms? What are you _doing_ to yourself? Did you pick a fight with a _tiger?”_

“... It was a werewolf, not a tiger.”

Will's expression became deadly serious. “Nico, I need you to answer me honestly. There are _only_ claw marks, right? You didn't get bitten, right?”

“Right.”

“Thank the gods. I do _not_ feel like having a lycanthropy patient right now, not after the week I've had.”

Nico smiled a tiny bit, despite himself. It hurt his face, but he didn't really care. He winced at the slight sting of the alcohol in the cuts. 

Will noticed this, and replied “Don't worry. It only stings because it's killing the germs. It's not injuring you further, I promise.”

“I know. It just hurt a little, that's all.”

“Oh, okay. Good. I'm sorry, I just…” Will's ears reddened. “I'm sorry.”

“All is forgiven. Can I put my shirt on now?”

“Oh. Yeah, just let me get this one last cut.” He wiped down and bandaged the last cut, and handed Nico his shirt. He felt a pang of sadness as Nico put on his shirt, for even though he was horribly emaciated, his body was still beautiful in Will's eyes. It was a grotesque sort of beauty, like if one of Poe’s poems or stories had been made into a human. And even though his ribs stood out from his chest like keys in a xylophone, there were muscles there, strung tightly like rubber bands on a tall stack of papers. His chest was scarred and battered, but Will was very used to scarred and battered. It was something he could soothe and heal, and that's what he was hoping to do for Nico. He had had a crush on Nico since they had first met, in the infirmary, so long ago… Will sat back and slipped into memories. Nico had been dragged into the infirmary late at night with a migraine, screaming about his sister. He’d sworn up and down that she was dead. Will had sworn up and down that it was just a nightmare, and that she probably was fine.

He never did find out which one of them was right.

“Solace!” Nico's voice jarred him from his thoughts. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. I just zoned out a little. I'm… I'm gonna check your heart, and then let's get you to the infirmary. I just got it emptied.”

“Emptied?” Nico asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, the last _real_ patient just left a half hour ago. Paolo Montes. He almost got himself decapitated. It's a miracle nothing important got severed beyond repair.” Will shook his head. “That guy has one hell of a medical history.”

“Gods. That had to hurt.”

“Yeah. It did. Poor guy was really screaming.” 

Nico snorted, a humorless chuckle. “I'd bet, yeah.”

Will pulled out a stethoscope and checked Nico's pulse. His heart was beating like a jackrabbit's. “Are… are you okay? Your pulse sounds like it's twice as fast as it should be.”

“I'm fine,” Nico mumbled.

“Okay. I just want you to know that you're safe here, okay? There won't be any monsters attacking you in here, I promise,” Will said softly.

“I know,” Nico said, a little snappily.

“Good. Now don't be afraid, okay? You're safe.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Will, I'm fine. I'm not scared. You don't need to baby me.”

Will smiled. “Okay,” he whispered. He cleared his throat. “Well, aside from the speed of your heartbeat, your cardiovascular and pulmonary systems seem fine. Your breathing sounds a little… rusty, so I'm gonna keep an eye on that, but I think we can move you into the main infirmary now.”

“What do you mean, _rusty?”_

“Like a little… I don’t know. Like… you don’t smoke, do you?”

“No.”

Will thought for a moment. “Well… it sounded like smoker’s lung, but it isn’t. Maybe some other form of lung damage that I haven’t thought of yet. Anyway, now that you’re here I can keep an eye on your aforementioned systems, so… it’ll be fine.”

“What systems?” Nico asked.

“Your cardiovascular and pulmonary systems,” Will repeated.

“I repeat, my what systems?” 

“Your heart and your lungs, dumbnut.” Will opened an interior door and revealed a large, crisp-white room with beds and sheets of the same color. A few of the beds had blood on them or had rumpled sheets, but most of them were made and clean. “All of the made beds have clean sheets. Take one of those, if you don't mind.”

“Trust me, I don't,” Nico replied. He took a bed in the corner and slipped under the clean sheets. They smelled of antiseptic and… something else, something Nico couldn't quite place. It wasn't quite a bad smell, though. It was sweet and honeylike, like summer flowers and sunshine. With a slight blush, Nico realized that this had to be Will’s deodorant or something similar, as the sheets had been laundered by him and the laundry soap, which he assumed was the smell of antiseptic, would have washed away the smell of anyone else. Will was the only one in contact with the sheets since they had been washed, so it had to be him.

Will’s voice pulled Nico out of his thoughts. “What do you like to eat?”

Nico thought on the question. He didn't think he had a favorite lunch, or at least he didn't remember what it had been. “I'm okay with anything, really.”

“Really? No food allergies or anything?”

“Not unless I'm allergic to something I haven't tried yet.” 

Will chuckled, and it made Nico feel uncomfortably warm inside. “Okay, Nico. I'll go see what I can find for you.” Will paused, and looked at the clock. “Actually, the lunch bell’s gonna ring in ten. I really don't like the idea of making you wait, but there's no point in feeding you ten minutes early.” 

“I understand,” Nico said, looking down and picking at a corner of the blanket. 

“While we wait, would you like me to show you the rest of the infirmary?” Will asked, giving Nico his typical sunny smile. 

Nico’s face warmed, which he hoped Will wouldn't notice. “Uh… yeah. That would be nice.”

Will smiled and pulled Nico to his feet. He kept a steadying hand on Nico's shoulder, which made Nico feel both irritated and slightly… Irritated. There was only irritation. No happiness or any pleasant feelings… right? 

“Aaaanyway,” Will drawled, turning Nico in the direction of a nearby doorway. “That door opens to the hall of the Big House. The door next to it is a closet, nothing for you in there.” _Especially ‘cuz I'm out,_ Will thought. “That door to the right of the beds and next to the room we came in from is the bathroom. It's got a shower in it too, so you can take a shower once you're a little steadier. That sound nice?” 

“Yeah,” Nico replied quietly. 

Will smiled. “Good. That's the water cooler right there. Cups are on top for when you're thirsty. Those other rooms you see in front of your bed are… well, they have beds in them too, one bed apiece. If I have a mentally fragile patient, sometimes I'll put them in there, because the quiet calms them down a little, or at least that’s what I’ve found. Or if the patient is really sick or very badly injured, I'll put them in there, so… so…” Will trailed off, and his normal sunny smile vanished, like a cloud that drifts across the sun and dims the sky.

Nico felt a pang of nervousness, a sense that something was wrong, but he pressed anyway out of curiosity. “So…?”

Will took a breath, and his voice cracked. “So they can be at peace.” 

Nico knew what that meant _._ Immediately, he had an all new respect for the annoying doctor. Maybe Will wasn't the irritating little pest Nico had first viewed him as. Maybe Will felt sorry for the people he healed, and maybe he really _wanted_ to make them better, not because of the fact that this was his _job,_ but maybe because he really _liked_ to help people. And maybe he felt truly sad when people were suffering, and when he couldn't save them, and...

“I'm sorry,” Nico murmured. “That's… really… sweet. Of you, I mean. To try and make… make your patients so comfortable in… in… I mean, you're dealing with people at the worst points of their entire lives, the points when they're the weakest, and the fact that you can make them feel better is…” Nico huffed. He didn't want to seem too outright complimentary to the annoying medic, but he still wanted to let him know that he was impressed by him. “Well,” Nico started again. “It's really good. Even if you are _extremely_ annoying about it, you're… a very good healer.”

Will turned to Nico and smiled again, but it was different from his normal smile. It was… softer. Nico didn't really know how to describe it. “Thank you,” Will said. He sounded humbled. “I… well, I never really… thank you.”

“You're welcome,” Nico replied. 

Will felt extremely flattered, and a little embarrassed. He had never been told that by anyone except for Chiron, and he just had always assumed that Chiron was trying to make him feel better about his lack of fighting ability. Will had never felt worthy of being around demigods. He had always assumed that he was inferior to them, because he couldn't fight like they could. He had always felt like he didn't belong with them, but he had also never felt any sense of belonging with mortals, at least, he very rarely felt belonging with mortals. Will had never felt like he had belonged anywhere, especially after so many of his siblings had died in the Battle of the Labyrinth and the Battle of Manhattan. His siblings were the ones that had made him feel like a worthy demigod. Not even his best friends Lou and Cecil could make him feel that way all the time. He guessed that that was why he had taken a shine to Nico di Angelo, because he thought that maybe, just maybe, Nico felt the same way. 

Just then, the lunch horn blew. “Lie down in the bed please, Nico. I'll bring you some food. It'll be nice.” Will smiled and patted his shoulder. 

Nico sat down in the bed and lay down on the pillow. The infirmary was warm, warmer than he was used to. It wasn't necessarily uncomfortable, though. It was a reassuring warmth, similar to the warmth of the house he was born in. The memory of this gave Nico a pang in his chest, a slight discomfort. 

As Nico was feeling self pity in the infirmary, Will was meeting his best friends and siblings on the pavilion. Cecil Markowitz was on the edge of the pavilion, with stage blood still stained on his clothes. He shot Will a smile. Cecil had the look of a troublemaker. He had an odd and crooked nose, a crooked grin, shaggy brown hair and freckly cheeks. He was 5’8” and slender. He sat on a post at the end of the pavilion, swinging his legs and munching on a crust of pizza. “It's Lou’s,” he explained. “She doesn't like the crust.” 

“I know,” Will said. “Did you do sacrifices?”

“Yuh.” Cecil swallowed. “I gave him two pizza crusts and an apple.” 

“Oookay.” That wasn’t really what one would normally give a god, but Hermes would probably take it in stride. He was good that way. “And where is Lou?”

“Over there,” Cecil gestured with the crust. A shortish, chubby girl with choppy green hair was talking to a taller, trim girl in a floral print crop top with long, light brown curls tied back in a ponytail. The ponytailed girl was Miranda Gardiner, the youngest Gardiner girl and eldest Demeter kid not yet in college. Her sister, Katie, was going to go off to college that fall. Travis Stoll, Katie's stalker admirer, would inevitably follow. Will wondered briefly how Connor, Travis’s younger brother, would feel about this. He knew someone else would step up to the prankster plate once the Stolls were gone or split up, that was inevitable. What he didn't know was who it would be.

Lou and Miranda came running over, trailed close behind by Miranda’s boyfriend, Sherman Yang. “Hey, Will! Come get some pizza.” 

Will smiled. “Okay, but I can't stay long. I need to bring food to Nico, I'm keeping him in the infirmary for a while.”

Lou and Cecil snickered. Miranda rolled her eyes. Sherman looked vaguely uncomfortable, or grumpy, or possibly constipated. Will couldn't always tell with children of Ares. He wasn't sure if Sherman was homophobic, but he didn't really feel like taking chances, so he grabbed the food and went over to do sacrifices. When he was there, he threw a slice of pizza in for Apollo and a Snickers bar in for Hades, for helping to bring Nico di Angelo into the world for Will to quietly ogle.

Will brought Nico his food, and they ate with relative silence. He gave Nico a paper cup filled with nectar, and Nico drank deeply. 

“What does it taste like to you?” Will asked softly. 

Nico was quiet for a long time. “... Chocolate cake,” Nico finally replied. It used to be his and Bianca’s favorite food, but he hadn't had it in years. The birthday cake he had eaten with Percy on his apartment balcony had been vanilla flavored.

“Oh, is that your favorite food?” Will asked. 

Nico grunted an acknowledgement, and Will took this as a cue to stop asking questions. Nico was privately glad about this. He did not want to have to say _“It wasn't_ _my_ _favorite food, it was my dead sister’s!”_ That would be a nightmare. He just knew that Will would not leave something like that alone. 

The rest of the afternoon passed slowly. Will scuttled around tidying up. He washed more sheets, organized and reorganized and re-reorganized the infirmary closet, and tried to make small talk with Nico, who seemed to want to do little more than stare at the ceiling, hiding his demons behind glassy or lidded eyes. 

Then it was dinnertime, and the cycle repeated. Go to the pavilion. Field questions from Lou, Cecil and others. Get food. Do sacrifices. Leave and return to uncommunicative and adorable patient. Watch him eat silently and make sure he doesn't choke on anything.

After dinner, Will quietly watched the sunset from the window of the infirmary. Will liked to feel the warmth on his face through the window. It soothed him, and he needed that. His nerves felt itchy and raw. He knew something bad was going to happen, but he didn't know when or even if it had in fact already passed and he just had not calmed down yet. After the sun had finished setting, he turned to his patient, who was still staring at the ceiling.

“Nico?”

“... Mm?”

“Are you almost ready to go to sleep?”

Nico tensed. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was on the verge of physical collapse. He desperately needed sleep, but he was afraid. “Do… do you have anything for dreamless sleep? I know it's a long shot, but it’d be really nice if you did.”

Will gave him a sympathetic look, and Nico wondered if Will had nightmares as well. He knew most if not all demigods did.

“Dreamless sleep, huh? Oh, how I wish I had that. I have something that will put you into a _deep_ sleep, but it may not be quite dreamless. It does reduce dream activity, though. Would that be okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. That would be great.”

Will went to the med closet and pulled out a beaker of brown crystals and some empty pill capsules. He measured out a few crystals, put them in the pill, and gave it to Nico with some cool water. Nico took the pill and water in his hand. “Are… are you sure this is safe?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t be giving them if they weren’t.”

Nico cringed. “This feels like a chemistry experiment.” 

“It's not. I've taken these myself. They're perfectly fine,” Will replied gently. Nico sighed, swallowed the pill and lay back on the pillow, staring into space. 

“Do you need more pillows?” Will asked. “You're on your own in the infirmary, you can have every pillow in here if you want.”

Nico blushed. He didn't want to seem greedy, but he did want another pillow or two. “Well, I… uh…”

“Here, take two more pillows. It'll be nicer for you.” Will handed him two more pillows, and he propped himself up on them. He felt himself becoming tired, and his body was really starting to feel the effects of weeks of no sleep and a quest of non stop shadow travel. His eyes closed, and he couldn't stop them. 

Will lay Nico down and tucked him in. He realized then that Nico had not gotten the shower Will had promised him, but oh well. He could take that tomorrow, assuming nothing bad happened. He figured he’d keep watch over Nico for that night. He wanted to keep him safe if something bad happened, like his gut was telling him it would. Children of Apollo had the best intuition of any group at camp, and even though Will was far from a teller of prophecies, his gut had a 95% rate of accuracy.

Will did what he always did when he was tense: he pulled out his notebook and iPod and put his earbuds in. He relaxed into the music and took a breath. He opened his notebook and began to write. _Guess what? I got Nico to stay at camp like I promised I would! I swore on the Styx, remember? And I did it. I finally fuckin’ did it! I'm so happy._

 _But I'm also afraid. I feel like something bad is going to happen. I hope nothing bad will happen to Nico. He's too thin, he shouldn't even be alive. I don't want anything to make his condition worse. Poor guy must be feeling_ _horrible._ _I can't even imagine. I don't think I could take it if I failed him. I'd kill myself._

Then he went to write up Nico’s medical record. _Patient name: Nico di Angelo. Godly parent: Hades. Date of birth: unknown. Age: About fourteen, absolute age unknown. Says he's fourteen, looks between thirteen and fifteen in the body and seventeen plus in the face. Young adolescent. Height: 162.520 cm (5’4”). Weight: 33.112 kg (73 lbs). Emaciated. Hair color: Black. Eye color: Brown. Race: White (Italian native). OTHER NOTES: Patient will spend three days in hospital at least. Patient is a flight risk and must be monitored at all times until it is certain that he will not flee. As patient is fading out of existence, patient is barred from using godly powers such as “shadow travel” until further notice._

Will sighed and put down his notebook.


	2. Night One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico's first night in the infirmary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. I think I (sort of) have this chapter thing figured out.

Will sat tiredly in the infirmary. It was close to midnight on a warmish night in early August. He glanced over at Nico, his sole patient. Will thought him kind of cute, even if no one else really did. Nico slept soundly in his infirmary cot. Will smiled, stretched out on the cot next to him, and sighed happily. It was nice to lie down and stretch the cricks from his back. 

He didn't remember falling asleep when he jerked awake. His healing senses tingled strongly. One injured or sick person in the vicinity. Will started at the repeated sensation and looked over at the cot next to him.

No Nico. Will rolled out of his cot, silently cursing himself for falling asleep. He tried to follow the anxious tingle in his gut. After a few circles, he wound up at the door of the infirmary bathroom. Nausea churned in his gut and he didn't know why.

He knocked. “Nico? You in there?” His sounded queasy, unconfident. He hated sounding and feeling weak, but he figured it was his burden to bear. He was a healer, not a fighter. 

There was no response. Will checked the lock. Whatever Nico was doing in there, it apparently wasn't important enough to lock himself in while he did it. 

Nico crouched on the floor of the infirmary bathroom. Sickness stained his lips and blood trickled from a cut on his arm. His cheeks were saltstained. 

He heard Will knock. He didn't respond. He heard Will’s voice. He still did not respond. He shivered. He was cold. Will entered, but Nico did not look up at him. 

Will looked down at Nico. He knelt next to him and touched his hair, gently. Nico recoiled harshly. 

“Okay, okay. I won't touch you. Just tell me what’s wrong, okay? I can fix this, I promise.” Will tried to make his voice as gentle as possible. 

Nico still didn't look up. He twisted his fingers up and stared at his hands. Will then saw the blood on his arm. 

“Nico?” he questioned, raising an eyebrow. “Fun time’s over now, now you need to tell me what happened.” Will suddenly felt a lot more awake. He pulled a roll of bandages and a packet of ambrosia out of the cabinet over the sink. He knelt next to Nico, then pulled him to his feet. Nico didn't flinch as Will washed his wounds, nor did he visibly react when Will forced ambrosia into his mouth. Will held a nectar-soaked cloth to Nico’s wrists, trying to soothe the wounds. 

Nico sucked in a breath. He couldn't stop the shivering. 

Will looked at him, worriedly. This wasn't easy to fix, like a stab wound or a broken arm. “I-I'll start the shower running. We can bandage you up afterwards, okay?” Will murmured, desperate to do anything to calm him. 

“I-I don't want to shower,” Nico mumbled.

“Why not?” Will asked.

“I-I don't have another shirt,” Nico replied. 

“Give me one moment and I can get you another one.” Will stood up and walked out of the infirmary and into the rest of the Big House. He found the things he needed in a closet and started his way back to the infirmary. 

Back in the infirmary, Nico felt cold. He hated himself for enjoying Will Solace’s attention. It was wrong, and he wasn't a good enough person to deserve it. 

Unfortunately for Nico, Will wasn't gone long. Will opened the infirmary door with a quiet click and Nico broke down silently. 

“Nico, I got you the outfi- Nico, what’s wrong?” Will crouched down next to Nico and put the clothes down. 

Nico shook his head. He gasped and a hard sob broke from his chest. An extreme wash of embarrassment shot through in its wake. Boys weren’t supposed to cry _period,_ much less cry in front of other boys. 

“Nico. Nico,” Will whispered. “Nico, please. Speak to me. I don’t want to hurt you. I won’t hurt you, I promise. Please. I’m willing to listen. I _will_ listen. Please just tell me what’s wrong or… or at least let me give you a hug or something but… please do _something_ to get help because… because it breaks my fucking heart to sit here and watch you cry your little heart out…” 

Nico took a deep breath and tried to hold it before another round of gasps and sobs broke through. He curled in on himself and continued to hide his face as if somehow that would make it so Will wouldn’t know he was crying. “I… I’m okay. I need a minute. Just leave me for a minute.”

Will shook his head. “I’m sorry, Nico. Leaving you alone is the one thing I _can’t_ do.”

“Why?” Nico said dully.

“I’m legally obliged to try and do something about it you’re showing obvious signs of being suicidal. If I left you alone right now I’d be putting your life on the line and that’s the _opposite_ of my job. So no, I can’t leave you. I can sit here silently in the corner and stare at the floor and not speak to you if you don’t want to see me or speak to me, but I can’t let you out of my sight. Understand?”

Nico nodded and rocked back and forth. He felt filthy, shameful. He wanted, more than anything, to shadow-travel to the Underworld and never face Will again. But something stopped him. The thought of Will’s face when he had suggested it the first time, so frightened… 

He took a shaky, choking breath. “You… you’re the medic. What do you think needs to be done?”

Will paused. He would have killed to have a real hospital at his disposal. A hospital would have strong antidepressants or at least _tranquilizers…_ anything he could use to help a patient in this sort of mental crisis. Instead, all he had was a roll of bandages, stitches thread and his own knowledge of the human psyche. “... The best I can offer you is a hug. I don’t have… besides that tranquilizer I gave you, I can’t… I don’t have anything for you except what you see in front of you.” He gestured to himself.

“A hug?” Nico asked weakly.

“Skin contact is a natural antidepressant. So is chocolate, but I don’t even… I don’t even have that. I’d have to sneak out and find some in the Big House pantry,” Will laughed weakly. 

Nico sniffled. “... You’d… you’d do that for me?”

“Do what for you, give you a hug? Of course I’ll give you a hug if you want it.”

Nico took a shaky breath. Something in his chest shifted. He _did_ want Will to hug him. Something in his chest was screaming for someone, _anyone,_ to come and keep him from being alone. He didn’t want to be alone anymore. He’d tried to keep himself out of the way, to prevent his poison from spreading and hurting others, but it had only made him miserable. He’d “soothed” himself by telling himself it was for the good of the world and that he deserved his life of isolation, but if there was even one person besides Hazel Levesque that thought otherwise… then… that would be life-changing for him.

He crawled over to Will and placed his head against his chest.

Will immediately recognized this as a gesture of immense trust. He carefully wrapped his arms around him and pulled him in. Nico began to shake with hysterics and he hit Will’s chest a few times out of sheer pain and frustration. “It’s gonna be okay, Nico,” Will whispered. “It's gonna be okay. I won't hurt you. I promise. I-I'd never hurt you. Please trust me.” 

Nico hiccuped and wiped his eyes, looking down at Will's lap. “Why should I trust you?”

“Because I'd never hurt you. Never. I'm not a violent person. Please. Just… believe me.”

Nico sniffled and buried his head in Will's shoulder. “It's wrong.”

“What’s wrong?”

“This. This is… this is wrong!”

“Well, if no one sees it and no one is hurt by it, then it isn't wrong, is it?” Will reasoned gently.

“No… n-not…not true...” Nico’s voice was breaking up.

Will patted his back. Normally, he’d make the patient talk about what happened to him. In this case, Nico clearly was unable to, so Will decided that he would just try to give him peace of mind for the moment. His attempts at reason had been all but futile, and since Nico seemed to be relaxing physically ever so slightly, Will deemed it okay to keep holding him for just one moment longer. He’d ask in a minute. He wanted to have this moment with Nico, just until he came out of his hysterics.

Nico gradually began to quiet. Will didn’t really know how long it had taken, it could have been ten minutes; it could have been three hours. Will spoke, breaking the thin spell that wrapped the two boys. “It’s gonna be okay. It's okay. Can you look at me, Nico?”

“No.”

“Why not?” 

“I don't want… I don't want you of all people to see me like this, Solace.” His voice was stressed and quavering. 

“Well, I'm not leaving, so if you don't cooperate with me then we'll just sit here into eternity.”

“That would be nice,” Nico sniffled. “To sit here into eternity, I mean.”

Will patted his back. “I'm glad I'm making you feel better, but... can you at least tell me what happened, so I can talk you through it?”

“It was only a nightmare. I’m fine. Just… just be quiet. Please.”

“...Okay,” Will whispered. “I will.”

As time passed, Nico seemed to relax. Will took this as a good sign. “Do you think you can go back to bed now? I promise, I'll stay with you. You won't be alone, don't worry,” he whispered.

Nico looked up. He wasn't crying anymore, but his face was blotchy and his eyes were bloodshot and exhausted. “Y-yeah. I'd like that.”

Will helped him up. He changed his cruddy shirt and the two boys left the bathroom together. “Would you like to go to a private room for tonight? Do you think it would help you feel better?”

Nico shook his head.

Will nodded and helped him into the bed he’d been in previously. “Would you like me to stay here or go somewhere else? It’s a big camp, after all.”

Nico thought on that. He didn't want to seem needy or like he liked Will too much, but he didn't want to be alone, not like this. “What do you think is best?” he mumbled.

“...I'll stay here,” Will replied. He put his hand on Nico’s shoulder.

As Nico began to drift off, Will began to hum softly. “Lights will gui-i-i-i-ide you home… and igni-i-i-i-ite your bones...and I… will try… to fix you…” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this got so edgy. I wrote the first version of this when I was, like, 13. It's been edited several times, but it never quite lost the edge. I'm sorry.
> 
> Also, credit goes to fucking Coldplay for the song at the end.


	3. Day 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second day part

Will awoke to a crick in his neck. As his senses came back online, he realized that he had fallen asleep sitting up. _I must be in the infirmary. There's no other place where I would fall asleep sitting up._ He opened his eyes, feeling laziness in his muscles and a coldness on his skin. The sun had fallen on his skin from the window, and in the sunbeam was also Nico's slim figure, silhouetted under the sheets. There was nothing visible of him but a black poof of hair sticking out from beneath the blankets. Will pulled the fleece blanket back and checked his face. He looked okay, no sign of fear or trauma. In fact, he looked soft and innocent while he slept, and it made Will's heart do a little flippity flop when he saw it. 

With a light jerk, Will remembered the events of the night before. Nico's state had terrified him. The fact that someone could go from sleeping so calmly to being terrified enough to be physically ill and suicidal was deeply shocking to him. He had had bad experiences with suicidal people before. He didn’t want Nico to be next. 

Will took a heavy breath. Loss was the code of the Fates. It was in the blood of every demigod. It was in their bones, in their every action, in every step they took. Will could not get caught up in it. It would break him, and he couldn't break in front of Nico. Nico was innocent in Will's mind, pure, almost like a small child. It made Will wonder why exactly he was attracted to Nico. After all, youthfulness wasn’t exactly his type. _Nico must be an old soul._

Nico jerked awake. It took him a moment to remember where he was. He knew that there was someone else very near to him, he could feel it. He opened his sleepy eyes to see a blond head hovering above him. Will seemed lost in thought to Nico, with half-lidded eyes and a vacant expression. 

“Hey, Solace,” Nico mumbled sleepily. _Why is he sitting so close to my bed? It’s weird._ “You there?” 

“Hmm? Oh, hi! Good morning! I'm glad you're awake. Did you have any more bad dreams?”

“No. I slept fine.”

“I'm so glad. You really worried me last night, you know. Please, don't ever do that again.”

“Do what? Have nightmares?”

“No, no, no. I mean cut your wrists. You can't control the nightmares.”

“O-oh. Of course,” Nico replied. He sat up and stretched. His body ached from trauma and overuse. 

Will sighed and stretched. “Once you're all nice and stretched out, come with me to the examination room. Your bandages are dirty, and I'd like to change them before breakfast.”

Nico groaned and stood up. His legs hurt, and he needed to use the bathroom. He stumbled into the exam room, to see Will bringing out alcohol and more bandages. He pulled his shirt over his head and sat down. 

Will turned and saw Nico tired and shirtless. “O-oh, good for you. You learn fast, don't you?” 

“Can we hurry this up, please?”

“Yeah, of course.” Will quickly changed the bandages with strong, steady hands. Nico was getting used to the tingle of rubbing alcohol on his skin, not to mention the sticky feeling of the rubber gloves Will wore while cleaning the cuts. It was a lot less awkward than being touched by bare hands, even though those same bare hands had steadied him so gently last night…

“Will, about what happened last night…”

“Yes?” He seemed distracted.

“Don't ever tell anyone about it. I mean it. I have a reputation to keep.”

Will gave Nico a smile, but it seemed like it was only for show. “Okay. You have my word. I won't tell anyone. But you do need to… to promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“Don't ever do that again. It scares people. It scares me.”

“Fine,” Nico mumbled. “I'll stop.” Will helped him to his feet and Nico pulled away and went to go use the bathroom. Nico needed to think for a moment.

Will was annoying him. Mainly because he seemed _so damned intent_ on making friends. Couldn't Will see that only bad things happened to those who were around him? Nico had left nothing but a trail of destruction and heartbreak in his wake. He didn't want there to be a next time. He was so scared that Reyna would die, or Hazel or Jason. He couldn't be scared for another person. Besides, Will was kind and pure and _popular,_ and if Nico were to play a hand in the death of him, he was sure he would never be forgiven. In addition to that, Will didn't seem to know that _everything_ about Nico was scary. The cutting should have been the least of his concerns. 

However… there was something else. If Nico was such a freak even by demigod standards… then what if this was a sting? What if Will was never going to release him? What if he was going to be imprisoned and killed? He wanted to believe in Will. He wanted to know that Will was a good man, but… he didn't feel like he could truly trust him, or anyone, really. _Shut up, you addled ass,_ Nico thought. _You're just making things up. Will’s probably just the annoying medic that he acts like he is. Besides, you’d crush him in a fight. This would be a completely irrational setup for a sting._ Nico huffed, zipped his fly, washed his hands and left the bathroom. 

He saw Will sitting on the bed that he had slept in the previous night. Will smiled at him. “You're steadier today than you were yesterday. I still want you to stay here, but if you want to go get some personal effects from your cabin after breakfast, that's okay. I'm gonna go grab you some food, okay? You need to eat.”

Nico felt his stomach growl. “Okay, I understand.”

Will smiled. “Before I go grab us breakfast, may I give you a hug?” Will wasn't even sure why he wanted one, but he did. 

_What is the_ _nerve_ _of this guy?_ Nico thought. “No,” he replied. “No, you may not. I don't like to be hugged by obnoxious blond boys.” 

Will pouted. “... You let _Jason_ hug you.” 

Nico blushed. “That's different. Jason is a friend.”

“I thought I was a friend to you,” Will replied. His playful pout had been replaced by a fearful expression and large, wet blue eyes. 

Now Nico felt bad, and hated himself for it. “I'm sorry,” he said flatly. “Let's give it some time. I’ve only been here a day.”

“... Okay,” Will replied. He quickly got up and left the infirmary to go get breakfast. Nico went to go back and get his spare aviator's jacket from his cabin. He didn't find it there, and the excursion only served to steel his resolve to redecorate the place. He’d have to talk to Will about starting it that day. He returned to the infirmary, stretching in the cool morning air. He couldn't wait until he was free to go. He wanted to be a normal camper again, or at least _his_ normal. 

He wasn’t sure where he’d go after this. He could go back to the Underworld, but autumn was only a month away, and he wasn’t exactly on good terms with the lady of the realm. Not after he’d destroyed her flower beds trying to bring back the ghost of his mother. He briefly considered dropping in to Sally Jackson’s place for a sandwich and a day or two’s rest, but then he remembered that Percy and Annabeth would probably be there by the time he was free to go, so maybe it wasn’t such a great idea. Annabeth would probably be sleeping on their couch, which was where he normally slept, and he didn’t want to sleep on the floor if he could avoid it. So maybe not a good idea. And there _was_ still the thing with Percy. He hadn’t bothered to gauge his reaction to him coming out, so he didn’t know if Percy was upset or not. He hadn’t _seemed_ too upset, but Nico figured it was still a good idea to give Percy a little space to come to terms with it, just for safety’s sake. 

New Rome was an option, but he didn’t know how he’d get in. He’d have to convince Reyna to put him up somewhere, and he knew that wouldn’t be the most popular decision she’d ever make if she let him in. He was a child of the Underworld, and a Greek one at that, and even though the two camps were no longer at war, he still didn’t know quite how restricted movement between the camps would be. He knew that he’d have a better chance of getting in for a short stay since he was on personal terms with both praetors, but he didn’t want to put them through the trouble. He decided to put it out of his mind. He was already committed to a massive renovation in the Hades cabin, and he’d also already told Jason Grace that he would be staying at least a little while. He’d have to stay and see how things would go. If they got bad, he’d leave again, but until then he would stay. Hey, it was free food and lodging. There couldn’t be too much that could go wrong.

Will was doing his sacrifices in the fire, throwing a little extra in there for Hades, when Jason Grace came up to him. “I heard Nico di Angelo is spending some time in your infirmary.” 

“Three days, yeah,” Will replied. 

“Oh, okay. Keep up the good work. He needs the rest, he really overdid himself with the statue quest. Make sure he eats.” 

“I'm trying. He's a somewhat difficult patient.” 

Jason chuckled. He had a deep, rumbly chuckle, and Will kind of liked it. “Yeah, I kind of expected that. Thank you for your efforts and time.”

“You're welcome,” Will said. He saw Lou Ellen watching the two from a few feet away. She looked like she was swooning a little, possibly over Jason. Then he saw another, quite beautiful, girl push through the crowd. “Jason!” she called in a singsong voice. 

“That's the girlfriend. I gotta go.” Jason left. _Oh, duh,_ Will thought. _Of course he has a girlfriend, and a beautiful one at that. I mean, there's no way a guy that looks like and carries himself like that doesn't have a girlfriend. And besides, was there ever any real doubt that he and Piper were together? They’re practically joined at the hip. I mean, I’m not blaming them/her. I mean, daaamn, son! Definitely can’t be mad in the presence of that fine piece of muscle._ Will snorted.

Will finished sacrifices and left the pavilion. He made his way back to the infirmary and gave Nico his food: pancakes and some bacon. Nico inhaled it as Will sat down to enjoy his own meal. 

“You were really hungry,” Will commented. 

“I guess I was, yeah,” Nico replied. “After I got my appetite back, it just… became massive and now I'm hungry all the time.” 

Will nodded. “Makes sense. I want you to be careful about how much you eat, though, okay?”

Nico tilted his head. “Why?”

Will took a breath. “Basically, if your body goes into starvation mode and then you eat massive amounts as soon as you get your hands on food, it can be… it can be a fatal shock to your body.”

Nico’s eyes widened. “... Gods. I never knew that. Now I’m glad I didn’t eat much after Tartarus. Holy Hades.”

Will nodded. “Oh, I’m glad too.” He gave a little _huh_ of laughter. 

Nico shook his head, too stunned to want to continue the conversation. “... Uh… may I change the subject?”

A laugh bubbled up from Will’s gut despite himself. “Please do.”

“Okay. As you may know, my cabin really, really needs to be redecorated. May I start while I'm in the infirmary?” 

Will pursed his lips. “Nico… I don't like that idea very much. That sounds like more work that would only serve to make you weaker.”

“I'll be fine!” Nico protested. 

“I'm still worried.” Will thought for a second. “How about this. I have two very good friends, Lou Ellen Blackstone and Cecil Markowitz. How about I have them help you on the lifting? They're good people. I know they'll be nice.” 

“Um… okay…” 

“They're probably gonna show up here in a minute or two. They usually show up here to bug me around this time, right after breakfast,” Will sighed. 

Sure enough, ten minutes later, two other teens blasted through the door. Will stopped them. “Lou, Cecil,” he started. “I have a proposition for you. If you will help Nico here redecorate his cabin, I will pay you.”

“How?” Cecil asked. “You've got no money. Besides, I’d much rather run a bank heist or something if I need money. That’s more fun than work.” 

“I'll find a way. Please, just help him with the heavy lifting. He can't be alone to work right now. Also, no bank heists.”

“But…” Cecil started.

“We'll do it,” Lou interrupted. 

“Good,” Will said. “Nico, do you want to have a word with them?”

“O-oh, sure,” Nico mumbled. “You-you guys don't have to help with the actual redecorating or anything, I don’t want to be a bother to you.” 

“You’re not,” Lou Ellen reassured. “Really, it’s okay. It’s not you, it’s the work.”

“Yeah. It’s not you,” Cecil piled on. 

Nico looked down, picking at his jeans.. “... Thanks,” Nico mumbled, blushing slightly.

“You’re welcome,” Lou Ellen smiled. “Also, be careful on those jeans.They’re your only pair, aren’t they? If they are, you shouldn’t destroy them.”

Nico retracted his hand, twisting the skull ring on his finger. “... Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’m sorry for making you feel bad. Also, be careful on your finger. You need that as well,” she reprimanded. 

Nico looked at her somewhat incredulously. “Are you nagging me?”

“You are nagging him a little, Lou,” Cecil piled on.

“Yeah, I guess I am nagging you,” Lou laughed. “I’m sorry about that.”

“You’ve been spending too much time with Will, that’s your problem,” Cecil joked. 

There was general laughter. Even Nico’s spirits felt somewhat lifted. Finally, Will broke the silence. “Are all of you gonna go, or what?”

Lou and Nico nodded in unison. “Yeah,” Lou said. “We’re going.” She turned to Nico. “Need a hand up?”

“I’m okay,” Nico said, pushing himself up. 

The trio walked to Cabin 13 as Will stayed behind in the infirmary. The three started working on dismantling the stupid coffin beds, using tools that they borrowed from the Hephaestus cabin (after a brief attempt by Cecil to bust them up with an aluminum baseball bat). After a few hours, there was one stack of mattresses in one corner and a stack of black bars and mattress parts in another. 

Lou stretched. “That’s enough heavy lifting for today. Is there anything else you need? I mean, you'll need a mattress for yourself for when you get out of the infirmary, right?”

“Two mattresses,” Nico huffed, sitting in the corner. 

“Huh?” 

_Holy_ _cow,_ Nico thought. _These two even_ _grunt_ _in unison. Is there anything they don’t do together?_ “One for me and one for Hazel when she visits,” Nico replied.

“Oh. Okay. The Hecate cabin has some extra sheets that might appeal to your fashion sense, and there’s only me in there, so I don't need them. Would you like me to bring them in?”

“Sure!” Nico said. “Thank you so much."

“Of course,” Lou said. She kissed his cheek and left to get the sheets. Nico blushed. 

When Lou returned, Nico looked at her shyly. “You… you didn't have to kiss me.”

“What if I wanted to?” Lou replied.

“Lucky stiff,” Cecil chimed in. He had been very quiet for the past ten minutes. “She never kisses me.”

Lou stuck out her tongue at him as a response. “Anyway, Nico, are these okay?” She held out a set of plain black sheets.

“They're great, Lou. Thank you so much.”

“No problem. At least now you'll have something to sleep on when you get out of the infirmary, although we may have to rethink this when it starts getting cold. You’re gonna need a real comforter or something similar once winter hits or you’ll be miserable.”

“I understand,” Nico said. He couldn't help but smile, Lou and Cecil were being so nice. 

“And Hazel is in New Rome, so we can take a little longer to find sheets for her, right?” Lou said.

“Right.”

“I've got some spare sheets in the Hermes cabin. Half of us sleep under sleeping bags, we don't use sheets. It’s an old force of habit dating back to when the cabin had thirty-forty-odd people in it. Anyway, Hazel can use those. They're a little old, but they're intact. They're dark brown, though. Not black,” Cecil piped up.

“Sweet. That'll do wonderfully. Hazel will like that.”

“Good.”

There was a moment of silence. Lou and Nico dressed Nico’s bed in the sheets. Cecil went and got the brown sheets, and dressed the one other mattress. After they were done, Nico lay down on his bed and closed his eyes. 

He felt a hand on his shoulder. “You're tired, aren't you,” Lou murmured. “Let's get you back to the infirmary.”

As he was laid down in his infirmary bed, he heard Will yelling in the background. “You guys overworked him, you idiots! He's gotten even worse now. Go away, let me treat him.”

“Fine. We'll go.” Lou and Cecil left in a huff. 

Will turned back to Nico. “It's okay, Nico. Just rest. I'll heal you.” Will turned Nico over and put two hands on his chest. Will took a deep breath and began to sing softly. _Oh, right. Will sings to people to heal them._ Nico wondered if that meant that Will had been trying to heal him the previous night.

Will finished singing and put his head down. Healing others made him feel sick himself. Instead of exhaustion from using his god powers, he got backwash from whoever he was trying to heal. It was his price to pay for his healing powers, Apollo had told him himself. And what he had gotten from Nico was worse than what he had gotten from Annabeth Chase during the Battle of Manhattan. 

Nico’s head felt a little clearer, and he rolled over on his side to face Will. Will had his head down on the bed, curls spreading around him. “Are you okay?”

A weak voice responded with “I could say the same for you.”

“Will, why don't you go take a nap? You look awful,” Nico suggested.

“But I'm the doctor,” Will said. “I don't sleep until everyone is better, and you're not better.”

“I'm going to take a nap as well. You can sleep while I sleep.”

“What if you have another nightmare?” Will yawned.

“I've had nightmares before, Will. I'll be fine. You don't need to worry about me.” 

“... But I am worried about you.”

“Well, don't be. You… How long has it been since you've slept a real night's sleep?”

“... Five days, I think,” Will mumbled ashamedly. “Maybe four. Maybe six. I can't tell anymore."

“Go sleep. I'll be fine, Nico murmured, closing his eyes. 

Will sighed. “Okay. But wake me up if you have a bad dream, please.” Will pushed himself into the bed next to Nico. He curled up and closed his eyes, passing out almost immediately. 

Will found himself in what he guessed was the Underworld, characterized by reddish-black rocks and a black river, probably the Styx. He saw a large group of ghosts before him, and they all looked angry. _You failed us,_ the leader started. _You failed us all. Your friends. Your siblings. Your former lover. We are all here. We all want revenge._

“I-I tried my best for you all. I really did. I promise! Please don't hurt me!”

 _As if. You shouldn't be allowed to be alive. Why should we die and you live?_ The ghost horde surged forwards, and Will felt cold hands grab him. He was shoved to the ground, pain exploding in his head. They tore at his flesh, ripping it from his bones. Will screamed in pain. “Please! I'll-I'll do anything! Please!” 

There was no respite. Will sobbed and tried to crawl away, but they grabbed him and dragged him back. He felt his heart get ripped out and he jerked awake again, sobbing and howling. 

“Will!” 

Will heard someone cry out for him. He blinked the tears away and took a deep breath, trying to soothe himself. “What?” 

Nico was sitting on his bed. “Are you okay? What the Hades happened there?”

“Nothing, Nico. I'm fine. It was just a bad dream, that's all.”

“O-okay.” _He really can relate to my nightmares._

“May… may I have a hug?” Will asked, shakily. “Please?”

 _Well, I guess I do owe him a favor._ Nico hugged him, a quick, one-armed squeeze. Will put his head on Nico's shoulder and sighed. “Thank you, Nico.”

“No problem.” They separated, and both boys felt a little healed. Nico went back to his own bed and lay down. 

Will stood up and smiled weakly at Nico. “So much for a nice nap, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Nico said. “May… do I have your permission to go take a shower?”

“Yeah, of course. I'm sorry it didn't happen sooner. After you shower, come to the exam room and I'll give you some fresh bandages. I don't want you to try and do your own.”

“Why not?” Nico grumbled.

“Because I want to make sure they're snug enough so no dirt gets in and infects the cuts. If you think the wounds you have now are painful and unpleasant, they will be a thousand times worse if they get infected. I have had infected wounds before, so you can trust me on this one,” Will replied sternly.

“Fine. I'm going to go take my shower.”

“I put clean clothes on top of the toilet tank for you.”

“O-oh. Thanks. I didn't have any clean ones.”

“I figured as much. We can buy you some nice new clothes once you get out of here. Until then, I have some things that might suit your fashion sense.”

Nico blushed at the thought of wearing Will’s clothes. “Th-thanks, Will. I'm gonna go take my shower.”

“Wash the cuts well!”

“I will.” Nico closed the bathroom door behind him. He stripped himself of his old ones and ran the shower. A shock of cold water hit him and he flinched, then relaxed as it warmed. It almost felt a little too good to scrub off all the caked sweat and blood. As he relaxed, he began to hum. _Lights will gui-i-i-i-ide you home… and ig-ni-i-i-i-ite your bones… and I… will try… to fix you…_ Nico was a solidly mediocre singer, he could do well if he really tried hard, but he normally sounded… well… goatish. Despite that, Nico was able to recognize the song Will had been singing the previous night. He figured he'd have to ask Will for the name of the song after he got out of the shower. 

Meanwhile in the main infirmary, Will was writing again. _Passed out in infirmary today. Guess I overworked myself after the battle. Had another nightmare. It was nightmare number three._ Yes, Will did have a numbering system for his nightmares. Number one was death of a loved one in battle, two was a code in a code for a variety of PTSD flashbacks, three was being attacked by the vengeful ghosts of patients he had failed, four was being cornered by monsters with no support, and five was miscellaneous. _I'm kind of mad at Lou and Cecil. I asked them to make sure that Nico didn't overwork himself further, but they didn't, and he passed out. So yeah, I'm a little grumpy. Other than that, I think I'm fine. A little shaken, but fine. Nico is in the shower, and I wish I was in there with him. He's the forbidden fruit, porcelain and pretty. I don't know why everyone compares him to Dracula. I mean, come on, he's kind of pale and grumpy but he isn't_ _that_ _creepy looking. And I'm sure he doesn't drink blood like Dracula._

Then Nico reemerged, in new clothes and wet hair. Will could see how matted it was now that it was wet. “Your hair is all matted. You should comb it, doctor's orders.” Will handed him a comb.

“I don't wanna comb it.”

“Then I will do it for you. Come here,” Will said. 

“No.”

“Nico, are you allergic to taking care of yourself? Love of Apollo, brush your damn hair!”

“... Fine. But only if you beat me in a swordfight,” Nico pouted.

“I'm not fighting you. Nico, brush your hair. Or let me brush it.”

“... Fine.” Nico sat in front of Will, and Will began to comb out the mats. He started when an inordinately large clump of silky black hair shed itself into his hand. _Calm down. Solace. Calm down. It’s a symptom of being starved and you know it. The shedding will stop when his body is better nourished._

“Didn't think you'd let me do this, Nico. You normally don't like to be touched,” Will mused, trying to distract himself from Nico’s state.

“... I don't like to brush my own hair. Like, _really_ don't like brushing my own hair.” 

“Why don't you like it?” 

“...Hurts.” Nico mumbled.

“It _hurts?”_

“Shut up.”

“Well if it hurts, then it doesn't matter who's brushing it, right? It's still gonna hurt.”

"I said _shut up!”_

Will only laughed. “I'm already getting used to your unpleasant demeanor!”

Nico stuck his tongue out. “Are you sure it isn't _you_ who has the unpleasant demeanor?” 

“Oh, _I'm_ a ray of sunshine. _You_ are a turdflower with a terrible temper.” 

“Shut up, Solace,” Nico said, swatting at the comb. 

Will just laughed. “Turd-flower!” 

“Shut up!” Nico snapped. “You're not funny.”

“Oh, I'm sorry, Nico. I was just messing with you. I wasn't trying to hurt you.”

“It's okay,” Nico grumbled. 

Will combed out the last bit of Nico's hair and tucked it behind his ear. “There. That's a lot nicer for you, isn't it?”

“... Yeah. Sure.” Nico still sounded upset. 

“... Are you sure you're okay? You sound upset.”

“I'm not upset!” Nico snapped. Then he leaned back and put his head on Will's knee, which was an extremely unexpected gesture. “I'm fine, Will. You don't need to worry about me.”

Will sighed. “I'm sorry. I just can't help but worry. I'm a healer. It's my job to worry and fret too much. Can you understand?"

“... I'll try,” Nico responded.

Will smiled at him, and Will's face glowed like sunshine. Then Will seemed to jolt all of a sudden. “Shit!”

“Will! Language!”

“We never bandaged your cuts! We need to do that now. Get up and go to the exam room.”

“Don't tell me what to do.”

“Stop being a little punk and let me heal you! I'm not just doing this because I like to fight with you about your health. I'm doing this because I need to help people. It's my calling.” Will pouted as he pulled him into the exam room. “You wouldn't deny me my calling, would you?”

Nico rolled his eyes and took off his shirt as Will put on his rubber gloves. “Apparently not, if I’m sitting here in your stupid infirmary.”

“It’s not stupid, it’s my life! My whole life is right here in these rooms.” Will huffed. “Everything else is dead and gone.”

“Uh-huh,” Nico replied. “I’ll bet it is, what with all of your friends, your camp sanctioned job, your siblings… must be so difficult for you.”

That was it. Will shot to his feet. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, do you? Now I see why no one likes you. It’s because you’re a sarcastic, judgemental asshole who only cares about himself and never bothers to consider the feelings of others. Maybe you should have left camp for good.”

“Fine,” Nico replied, bitterly. “After I get out of here, I’m leaving for good. I have friends in New Rome and the Underworld. I can build a life better than any you’ll ever have.”

“... Fine. Leave, then. I don’t care.” Will sniffled a little. “I don’t care. You’re just another lost cause.” He paused and said quietly, “Just another lost cause.”

That afternoon was quiet. Will bandaged Nico’s cuts and brought him food like he always did, but he did so without speaking. Will felt so fucking sick. He had promised to keep Nico from running away again, and he had failed. All he had wanted was a friend, and he had thrown that away when his temper had run away from him. That almost never happened, either. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten angry like that.

It wasn’t until after dinner that Will spoke to Nico again. “I’m sorry. I lost my temper. It’s just… I felt like you were saying that… never mind. I lost my temper and that’s unforgivable. Do you think you can forgive me for yelling? I’d understand if you didn’t, but… it’d be really nice if you did.”

“You’re forgiven,” Nico replied. He wasn’t really that angry anymore. He thought back on how bad he’d felt over the past two years for rejecting Percy so violently, and something in his chest shifted and settled again fresh and new. “I’m sorry for setting you off.”

“Are… are you going to run away?”

“I don’t know.”

“Okay,” Will replied quietly. He sounded terrible, almost ill, and Nico almost felt sorry for him. 

“Actually, I think I’ll stay. I’d hate to miss out on the… the wonderful food they serve here.” That was untrue, but Nico needed an excuse. Will knowing that Nico felt sorry for upsetting him was not a good idea. He’d never let it go.

“Whatever it takes. I’m glad you aren’t leaving, and I’m sorry for what I did. I just… I lost some people who were very close to me a year or so ago, and I felt like… I felt like you were making fun of that, or saying that I shouldn’t be upset over their deaths because I still had some surviving friends and siblings. That’s all.” Will laughed ruefully. “Pretty childish of me, right?”

“Will, that’s not childish at all. I-I’m really sorry for making you feel like that.”

“You’re completely forgiven. I’m sorry for saying that you were a sarcastic, judgemental asshole and a lost cause. That was pretty terrible of me.”

“You’re forgiven,” Nico mumbled.

“Thank you for your forgiveness. It means a lot to me, you know?” Will smiled.

“Yeah, I know. Thank you for yours.”

“You’re welcome. I gotta go now, Lou Ellen, Cecil and the others are gonna kill me if I don’t show my face at campfire. But I’ll be back, I promise. That okay?”

“Yeah, that’s okay. I could use some alone time.”

“I understand. See you in a few.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a feeling that after the whole mess with Percy Nico gets a little more selective about what grudges he keeps. And I honestly don't think that Nico would think that a grudge against Will would be... that important to keep. That's why I had them apologize so quick.
> 
> Also, it's really difficult to hold a grudge against someone who you have to see and talk to practically every minute of every day.


	4. Night Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico's second night in the infirmary. Oh, if only his nightmares would just go away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap, man, this took a long time to edit. It's 3 AM where I live when I'm posting this.

**NIGHT TWO**

Will filled a cup with water and drank. Even with his back turned, he could feel two dark brown eyes on him.

“You know, you have to sleep eventually. I know the cots aren't comfortable. If what happened last night happens again, I'll take care of it, okay?” 

“I'm not tired,” Nico said. He had huge eyes, moony eyes. Will thought that they could pierce through time and space. They had a hollow look to them, almost abyssal. 

Will gave him a cup of water and he drank it up. Will pulled the sheets over Nico’s legs. Nico looked away, and Will swore he saw him blush.

"You okay, Nico? You look a little red,” Will asked. 

“Yes, I'm fine. Now stop touching and babying me. I'm not “cute” nor do I need to be taken care of! I've been through Tartarus, for the love of it! I'm gonna be fine, with or without you!” Nico exploded. 

Will’s stomach churned. “I thought it was Percy and Annabeth that had to go to Tartarus and back.”

“I jumped in before them. I was trying to help with some problems in my father's domain that were starting to affect the mortal world,” Nico muttered sharply.

“Oh, the Doors of Death?” 

“Yes. Now let's never talk of this again.” 

“I can't do that. I'll give you a reprieve for now, but there will come a time when you'll need to tell me… _everything_ ,” Will said. "Or if not me, at least _someone."_

Nico scowled but did not reply.

“But for now, try and get some sleep, okay?” Will smiled kindly. Will went to pat his back, but pulled away. He left for the door. “Call me via Iris-message if you need anything, okay?”

Nico lay down and huffed. Who did this guy think he was, trying to beg information about Tartarus out of him? This boy was really starting to get on his nerves. 

There was a small knock on the door. “What?” Nico shouted. “Will’s not here.”

“I don’t need Will.” It was Jason. “Can I come in and speak with you?”

Nico groaned into his pillow. “Fine.”

Jason tentatively walked in and sat next to him on the floor. “... Are you feeling all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“I talked to Chiron. He says he can replace your aviator’s jacket for you if you want.”

“Oh… thanks.” Nico turned and looked at Jason. “Also… how are you feeling?”

Jason tilted his head. “What do you mean?” 

“... After the battle… and everything that happened with… with Leo… I was wondering how you were.”

Jason didn’t respond.

“I… I mean, you don’t have to tell me if you’re not comfortable, I know it’s personal, but...”

Jason sighed and shook his head. “... It hurts. That’s all I can say on it. It hurts and I miss him already.”

Nico nodded. 

Jason sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “I guess that’s why I’m checking up on you now. I… damn, I don’t want to lose another friend. Fuck that shit.”

Nico was too surprised by Jason’s use of the word _friend_ to correctly respond to it. “... Is that the first time I’ve ever heard you swear?”

“... Maybe. I don’t swear much.” 

“Good. It’s not a good habit to have.”

Jason smiled affectionately. “Yeah, I guess not.” He paused. “Are you getting along all right with Will?”

Nico sighed. “He’s annoying.”

Jason’s brow furrowed. “Annoying how?”

“He’s… touchy.”

“He doesn’t strike me as the irritable type.”

“No, no, touchy like… he’s really into touching.”

Jason’s face became deadly serious. “Will didn’t touch you inappropriately, did he?”

“No, no, of course not! He just… likes to initiate a lot of physical contact, that’s all.”

“And he forgets you’re not comfortable with that?”

“... I guess so,” Nico replied. “I mean, there’s no other polite reason for it.”

Jason looked intently at Nico. “Do you think he may be… into you? Like, in the same way you were into Percy?”

Nico’s face turned red as a cherry. “... I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

“Why not? Does he have a girlfriend? Because I’ve only ever seen him hang out with Annabeth, Clarisse and Lou Ellen, and Annabeth and Clarisse are both taken and Lou Ellen… well, I don’t think she’d be ogling me if she were in a relationship.” Jason laughed lightly.

“No, he doesn’t have a girlfriend. But he sure as hell doesn’t have a boyfriend.”

Jason nodded. “You don’t have a boyfriend either, but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t be open to one.”

“Oh, shut up. You’re turning into Piper.”

“Hey, I’m just being honest. All I’m doing is telling you not to write your options off so quickly.”

“What the… _options?_ What the _hell,_ Grace?”

“Oh, _now_ who’s swearing?” Jason teased.

“Oh, please. ‘Hell’ is tame in comparison to what you said. Also, what on earth did you mean by options?”

“You know…” Jason wiggled his eyebrows, “ _options._ Like, options in what men you…”

“Shut up! Just shut up!” Nico stuffed his head between his pillows and wailed. 

Jason looked down. “... I’m sorry.”

“Leave me alone,” Nico mumbled.

“... Okay,” Jason whispered. “I hope you forgive me.” He stood up and turned around.

“Look, Grace, you should feel lucky we’re alone. If you outed me in public… I don’t know what I would do. Put you in a body cast, probably. Either that or a body bag.” Nico scowled up at Jason.

Jason nodded. “Oh, I know you’d mess me up good. I’m not stupid. That’s why I wanted to have this conversation now, when no one else was here.”

Nico sat up. “Good. I’m glad you understand me.”

Jason looked back. “... And I’m sorry that I embarrassed you. I swear I didn’t mean to.”

“... You’re… forgiven. I guess. I mean, you mean well.” He looked down at his legs, picking at the fabric of the oversized black sweats that Will had given him earlier.

Jason smiled, a wide, puppylike grin. “Thank you. I’m so glad you can see that.”

Nico sighed and pushed himself to his feet so he was more level with Jason. “Yeah. You’ve earned my trust, Grace. Don’t screw it up.”

“Trust me, I’m trying.”

There was a pause. Nico pointed at Jason’s face. “Why are you still smiling?”

Jason gave an uneasy chuckle. “You’ve got bed head. You’re wearing clothes that would fit better on me than they fit on you. You’ve got pizza sauce smudged on your face from dinner.”

Nico ran his hands through his hair to flatten it. “Where’s the sauce on my face?”

“Here.” Jason gestured to the corner of his mouth. “Uh… do you need something to clean it off with?”

“Yeah, that’d be nice.” 

Jason grabbed a paper towel from the bathroom and wet it, Nico grabbed it and harshly scrubbed it off his face. “Hey,” Jason murmured. “Be careful with yourself. Don’t scrub too hard.”

Nico gave Jason an incredulous look. “I’ve been through _literal hell_ and you’re telling me not to scrub my face too hard?”

“It’s because I care about you.”

Nico smiled despite himself. Jason’s use of words like _friend_ and _care_ still twirled in his head. “... Thank you.”

Jason started to put his arms out, but put them back down. “Oh, you’re always welcome.”

Nico had to actively fight the urge to dive into Jason’s arms and cling to him. He looked up, gave Jason a quick, one-armed squeeze, then returned to the bed. 

Jason smiled tenderly at Nico. “Thank you for that.”

Nico fought back a blush. “Welcome.”

Jason nodded. “Anyway… I think it’s time for me to go. I need to go to bed, I think.”

“Right. Your Roman behind can’t stay a minute past curfew, can it?”

Jason shot Nico a look. “Not my fault I was raised in a system where every little thing was punishable by death.”

Nico looked down. “If I came to your place after curfew, would you be okay with that?”

Jason sighed. “I can’t condone you sneaking out, Nico. I think you should… should stay here. I mean, under any other circumstances, I’d be overjoyed, but...”

“I won’t shadow-travel. I can walk.”

“But the harpies-”

“I’m not worried about them. I can fight them.”

“I don’t want you fighting anything.”

“Fly me, then,” Nico pouted.

Jason sighed. “... Fine. Just know that I hate this plan, okay?”

Nico stood back up and walked over to Jason. A small smile took over his face. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Back in the Apollo cabin, Will was the only one still awake. He felt restless and hot. Will had never felt too warm, even when everyone else was boiling. He was shirtless in the quiet cabin, and he absentmindedly ran his thumb over his stomach and hip bone. 

His thoughts drifted to Nico. Nico was so… Will didn't even know how to describe it. Small and slightly built but strong, with pale skin. Every slight blush showed so bright on his face. Will loved the moments when he could just look at Nico when he was peaceful, not scowling or angry-looking, just calm and staring into space. Will wasn't sure whether he wanted to kiss Nico, or hold him, or fuck or slap him. 

Will heaved a sigh, took a moment to calm down, put on a shirt and left. He wanted to check on his patient. The hot, sticky night did nothing to alleviate Will’s frustration. He briefly reconsidered it, after all, it was after curfew and he just felt _gross,_ standing there in the sticky August heat sweating like a right little pig walking over to meet one of the most genuinely beautiful boys he’d _ever seen in his life,_ and… oh, he was panicking. _Shut up, you dumb little homo bitch. He’s probably just asleep._

Nico was not asleep.

Will entered to see Nico sitting on Jason’s shoulders in front of an open window, looking like a kid who’d just been caught stealing from the cookie jar. “... What the hell is going on here?”

Jason flinched and jumped, almost dropping Nico before putting him down gently on the floor. “Will! I… I’m so sorry!”

“Jason… what the hell were you even doing? Trying to sneak Nico out through a window?”

“Ye-”

“No,” Nico butted in. “He was trying to sneak himself out to avoid the harpies. I jumped on his shoulder as a joke.”

Will raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Really!” Nico leaned into Will’s face. “The hell would I sneak out of here? I mean, I hate it here, but it’s not like the underworld is any better!”

“Oh, of course. Because being here is just as bad as being fucking dead,” Will shot back. “Look, I know you hate this place and you hate me, but I find it hard to believe that you’d rather be dead than here.”

“Well, maybe I would be! At least no one tells me what to do there!”

Will swallowed hard. Fuck, he wanted to cry. His eyes stung and he hurriedly blinked back the tears. “... Fine. I’m sorry. You’ve just got one more day after this. Then you can do whatever you want, and I won’t stop you. I promise.”

Before Nico could respond, Jason stepped between them. “Guys, stop.”

Nico and Will turned to him.

Jason locked eyes with Nico. “Nico, you should apologize. Look at him. He’s near tears.”

Will felt small. He hated having to be defended like this. “I…”

“I’m sorry,” Nico grumbled. “I didn’t mean to insinuate that being here was as bad as being dead. Normally when I’m not here I’m camping out in the Underworld near the Styx. That’s what I meant by the underworld not being any better.”

“... Thanks,” Will mumbled. 

Jason put a hand on Will’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Will flinched. “... Oh… oh, yeah. I’m fine.” His voice cracked.

“Hey.” Jason’s voice was soft. “Can I talk to you a minute?”

Will nodded. 

Jason looked at Nico. Nico looked down. “... Okay.”

Will pulled Jason hurriedly into a private room. “What… what did you want?”

“I just wanted to say… I wanted to tell you that he’s not normally like this. He’s normally more polite. I’ll tell him that he can’t give you this much BS, okay?”

Will shook his head. “You…” Will’s voice cracked and he took a breath. “You don’t need to do that.”

“I want to.” Jason smiled at him. “I think you two would be good friends for each other.”

Will cleared his throat. “... Thanks.”

“... Are you okay? May I give you a hug?”

Will nodded. 

Jason enveloped him in a squeeze. “Hey, man, it’s okay. Don’t cry.”

Will put his head on Jason’s shoulder and let himself be comforted. A tight something in his chest unraveled, softened. Jason’s arms were comfortable. He would have been only too happy to stay there forever, but Jason pulled away and grinned at him. “Are you feeling any better?”

Will took a breath and smiled. “Yeah, a little bit. Thanks.”

Jason nodded. “I’m glad.” He patted Will’s shoulder. “You ready to talk to Nico now?”

Will nodded. 

“Then let’s go.” Jason escorted him out into the main infirmary. Nico was sitting crosslegged on his bed, looking down. “Nico, may I speak to you?”

Nico nodded. 

“Come with me,” Jason urged. Nico followed him. Jason sat him down in a chair in the private room. “Let’s talk about Will.”

“Okay.”

“Will’s a very sensitive boy, okay? The things you said to him… about how you’d rather be dead than with him… you made him cry.”

Nico’s heart wrenched. Sure, he hadn’t been _happy_ when Will had gotten upset at him for trying to sneak out. But… he hadn’t wanted Will to cry. “... I’m sorry,”

“Don’t tell me. Tell him.”

“... I will.” Nico turned and walked out. He saw Will sitting at his desk in the corner, staring at the wood and fiddling with a pencil. “Will?”

“... Yeah?” Oh, gods. It _did_ sound like he’d been crying.

“... I’m sorry.”

“... It’s okay.” Will sounded sick. “I’m not mad. It’s just… it’s hard to be told that someone would rather be dead than hang out with you.”

“... I know. I’m so sorry. I… it was… it was…”

“It was the heat of the moment, you were angry. I understand.” Will turned around and looked at Nico. His eyes were red and puffy. “It was just like what happened earlier when I said that you were a lost cause, right?”

“... Right,” Nico responded. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re forgiven. But… let’s at least try to be better to each other from here on out, okay?” Will’s voice was tremulous. “This next day will be hell if we don’t.”

Nico nodded and sat down on his bed again. “I agree.” He rolled onto his back and raised his fist weakly. “Here’s to working together.”

Will stood up and sat down in the bed next to his, fistbumping Nico. He was smiling. “Yeah, here’s to it.”

There was a pause. “... Are you tired?” Will asked.

“No. Why do you ask? Are you tired?”

“A little,” Will admitted. “But I’m not that bad. How are you? You’re the patient.”

“I’m fine, Will. I really am.”

“Are you sure?”

“Why do you keep asking?” Nico asked.

“I’m trying to take care of you, that’s why.”

Nico snorted. “Look, I appreciate it, but…” Whatever comment he was about to make was cut off by a yawn.

Will gave a watery chuckle. “Okay. You're tired. I won’t push you to talk anymore. Just get some rest, okay?” 

“... Okay.”

“Do you want me to stay?” 

“No… yes… I don't know,” Nico stuttered.

“Do you want me to find a way to monitor you, so I can help if whatever happened last night happens again?” 

“... I don't care. Do whatever you want. You’re the healer.”

Will thought for a moment. “... I’ll sleep here, I guess. I’m not quite comfortable leaving you alone overnight quite yet.”

Nico nodded. “... I understand.”

“I’m glad you understand,” Will nodded, lying down a few beds away. 

“Right. Blah blah blah suicide prevention,” Nico mumbled, turning away, fluffing his pillow and settling down. He heard Will snort.

There was a comfortable silence. Will listened as Nico’s breathing became softer, more even. It was soothing to listen to another human being breathe when they were at peace. 

It wasn’t long before the sound put him to sleep.

In Nico’s dreams, he stood on Half-Blood Hill, watching a familiar figure limp slowly up. The dark-haired female figure held her arms out, and Nico grabbed them and pulled her in.

He’d missed her so, so badly, more than anything. She was beaten up and bloody, but alive. Alive. Nico cried into her hair as she buckled. 

“I'm sorry,” she whispered. “I can't stay with you, I have to go. I'm sorry.”

“No,” he cried. “Don't leave again. Please, please, I'm sorry, I'm a… I'm sorry,” he choked. “Bianca, please!” 

No luck. She rose up out of his arms, as if lifted. Nico grabbed for her, but he no longer had any control. He screamed her name, kept screaming her name, wouldn't stop. He was tumbling, shaking, someone was shaking him. He woke up and screamed for her, as if by reflex.

Will didn't even know who “Bianca” was. He just knew Nico had been crying for (assumedly) her. Will helped him to the bathroom and Nico coughed and retched painfully. 

“It'll be okay, Nico. I can help you get through it. I just need to know one thing.”

To Will’s surprise, Nico responded. “What?” 

Will rubbed Nico's shoulder, gently. Nico was too fragile to resist. “Who is Bianca?”

“She is- was- my older sister,” Nico sniffled.

“Was.”

“Yeah. Yeah.” 

“As in past tense.”

“Yeah… yeah…” Nico couldn't help the stutter. Whenever she was brought up, he turned into that scared little ten-year-old again, standing stock-still and shocked while Percy delivered the news. Nico felt a pang of awkwardness, thinking about Percy. He sniffled and pulled away.

Will’s heart broke for him. As for siblings, he himself had lost too many to count. “Was she your full relative, or…?” 

“Yeah… yeah.”

“Oh…” Will had never had a full-sibling, only half-siblings. “Is it different, having a full-sibling? I mean, as opposed to another Hades kid who isn't your full-sibling?” 

“No. Well, sort of. Bianca and I grew up together. She took care of me. And then…” Nico's already soft, hoarse voice trailed off entirely.

“And then?” Will pressed gently.

“She joined the Huntresses, went on a quest and never came back.” 

“So she abandoned you.”

“No!” Nico refused adamantly. “Well, kind of. But it wasn't her fault, it was never her fault, it was Percy and Thalia’s fault, for failing to keep her safe. It was Artemis and Zoe Nightshade’s fault, for recruiting her. It was the fault of whatever killed her the most, but that doesn't change the fact that she was baited, wronged and killed! How in Tartarus was any of that her fault?” Nico yelled.

“It… wasn't, Nico. I don't want to meddle in the ghosts of your past. You clearly are still hurt by this, very hurt, so I won't push you to talk. I'm glad you said as much as you did.” Then Will’s demeanor changed, got softer and sadder. “You’re-you’re not alone. I've lost siblings too. Four that I was close with, but…” Will forced a weak chuckle.

“But… there were more than that…?” Nico queried hesitantly.

Will nodded.

“Oh, gods, Will, I'm… I'm so sorry.” 

“It’s… nothing you should worry about. It wasn't your fault they died.” 

“Tell me about… them,” Nico asked, moving closer to Will again if only by a sliver. “Or at least, the ones you were close with.”

“Okay, I'll try.” Will took a deep breath. “Summer was first. She was head counselor when I first came to camp four or five years ago. I only got to know her for a month, but she treated me like family, even before she knew we were related, just because I looked lonely. She was the healer before I was, and she taught me almost everything I know. She died… basically by disembowelment. It was gruesome. It was… It was also the first time I had ever tried to heal someone completely on my own, and I failed. It… it really hurt.” Will had to pause, and Nico gently rested a hand on his knee.

“Second was Lee Fletcher. Lee was tough, a better leader and fighter than I'll ever be. He spent a lot of time with us, trying to teach archery to Michael Yew and me. He was… he was my god. If I could choose one person…” Will hiccuped and blinked back tears. “If I had to choose one person to bring back from the dead, it would probably be him. He was killed in a fight with a giant during the Battle of the Labyrinth, got his head clubbed in. Lee s-saved me, shoved me out of the way of the blow so I could live another day. It was all my fault he died. All my fault.”

Nico wanted to protest that his brother’s sacrifice was most definitely _not_ Will’s fault, but Will kept going. “Michael was number three. He was a good friend, only a year or two older than I. He took over archery after Lee got killed. He died in a bridge collapse during the Battle of Manhattan.” Will paused and took a breath. “He and I weren’t as close as Lee and I, but we- we were still _brothers,_ you know?

“Final was Claire. She was my… one of the best friends I've ever had. She was a musician, like Austin is, but she played the guitar and sang. She had the voice of an angel. We always planned… ” Will paused, and took a longer, shakier breath. “We always planned to be a songwriting duo. I would have written the songs and she would have put them to music and played them. She should have been Cabin Leader after Michael, but… well… her cumulative wounds were too much. She died from blood loss after overworking herself during the Battle of Manhattan. We… we were trying to get Kayla and herself back to the infirmary and… she was weak and… she told me to take Kayla and leave her because Kayla was young-only ten at the time- so...” 

“So?” Nico pressed, as gently as possible.

“So… I had to leave her there… I heard her scream and…” Will put his head down, his eyes wet. 

Nico put his arms around Will. He never hugged anybody normally, but it just hurt him too much seeing Will talk about his dead siblings like this. He began to feel cool tears drip onto his neck, and it hurt him, although he couldn't exactly say why.

Will hugged him back. His chest spasmed and he hiccuped painfully. “I… I’m sorry. I know I’m such a crybaby, oh…”

“No, Will. It’s fine. I cried too. This is a good reason to cry.”

Will forced another round of painful sobs out of his too-tight chest. He took a deep breath and nuzzled Nico’s shoulder. “... Thanks.”

Nico nodded and pulled away. “You’re welcome. And thank you, too.”

Will wiped his eyes on his sleeve and sniffled. “You’re welcome.”

Nico looked up at Will, then down at the bathroom tile. He didn’t quite know what to say. “... And I’m sorry. I’m sorry you feel like Lee’s death… I’m sorry you feel like his death was your fault.”

Will sniffled and wiped a fresh round of tears from his eyes. “Well, it was, so…”

“No it wasn’t. He gave his life for yours.” Nico leaned in and took Will by his shoulders. “He sacrificed himself so you could live. So you could be happy. He wouldn’t want you to beat yourself up for years over it.”

Will paused and looked down. “I… I…” _But I was so_ stupid _and_ clumsy _and I… I let my brother die…_ “... Thanks, Nico.”

“You’re welcome.” _You didn’t believe a minute of that, but I can’t argue with you now. I’m so tired and hurt myself, I can’t do it now…_

“... How did this turn into you comforting me?” Will asked, giving a small chuckle. 

Nico gave a small smile. “I don’t know.”

“... Do you feel any better, at least?”

“... A bit,” Nico admitted. “Less nauseous, at least. It almost… it almost feels good to know you’ve lost siblings, too. I mean, I’m not happy that you’re grieving, obviously, but…”

“It feels good to know you’re not alone, right?”

Nico nodded. “Exactly.” 

Will smiled and stood up, extending a hand to Nico. “Well, I’m glad to be of service.”

Nico took it and Will pulled him up. “Thank you.”

Will took a breath. “... Are you ready to try and sleep again?”

Nico closed his eyes. “... Maybe.”

“I’ll be right there if you need me.”

Nico sighed. “... Okay. I’ll try again.” 

Will led him to the bed and Nico lay down. His eyes closed almost immediately, his eyelids felt like lead. All the tension melted out of his body into the bed below him.

He barely registered Will climbing into the next bed over before he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a word of warning, the next part is Night Three. There aren't any more day parts. Just wanted to avoid confusion.  
> Also, it should be out in not too long. It won't need as much editing as this did.
> 
> Also also, damn, those scenes with Jason hurt to write after TBM.


	5. Night Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Night Three. Poor Nico just can't seem to shake those nightmares.

Lou Ellen walked towards the infirmary, can of Coke in hand. She was bringing a soda to her best friend/ pseudo little brother Will Solace. 

She had taken a nap after helping Nico di Angelo with renovations in his cabin. When she wasn't messing with her friends, she usually tried to use her magic in helpful ways. It was her attempt to make things right between Hecate and the half-bloods after the Battle of Manhattan.

Nico di Angelo was a very… different half-blood. He didn't have the same… energy that a lot of the other demigods did. She knew a lot of them had been through horrible things, but she wanted to know what had happened to Nico that was different. Privately, she thought he had a mood disorder, something like depression or maybe just really low self esteem. 

Arriving at the infirmary, Lou entered through the front door. “Will! Buddy-boy! I brought you a coke!” she shouted. 

Will came running. “Lou! My sista-from-anotha-mista! Love you! I'll repay the favor when I'm out, okay?” Will said, spinning on his heel and finger-pointing. Lou laughed as Will pounded down the soda.

She only then noticed how intently Nico had been watching her. “Hey, Nico. Sorry I don't have a soda for you too. Do you want me to get you one?” 

“You sure you want to? I mean, you sure it isn't too much trouble for you?” Nico asked, skinny pink lips glinting with saliva. _He must really like treats and soda,_ Lou thought. She giggled. Nico was like a little kid in some ways, and it was really cute. 

Will chuckled as well. He was blushing brightly.

"Of course I'll get you a soda! Will, come on. Let's go get Nico a drink,” Lou said.

“Will,” Lou laughed once they reached the hall. “You've gotta calm down. You’re getting all blushy. If you can’t chill out he’s gonna feel like you’re coming on too hard and feel weirded out. Go splash some cold water on your face, okay?””

“Okay,” Will said and he bolted. Lou got the soda alone. She knew Will was gay, and she’d known for longer than he himself had known. However, she'd never known Will to be obvious about it. He acted like it was so normal, “I'm-into-guys-deal-with-it”, that even Lou didn't think much of it. Lou returned to the infirmary with Nico’s soda. 

“Thank you,” he said. Lou nodded and he popped open the can and began to drink. “Mmm. I can see why Percy likes this.”

“Oh, he likes Coke?” 

“Yes.” 

Lou had had a lot of these oddly chummy conversations with Nico in the past few days. Nico was very polite and careful with what he said. Lou was the opposite. She said any damn thing that popped into her head.

“It's getting late. I'm not sure if I should have given you and Will caffeine…” she mused, giggling.

“What's caffeine?” Nico asked.

“Oh, it’s a chemical in things like coffee, some teas and sodas. It makes you feel more awake,” Lou explained. 

“Ah. That explains that. It's all right, though, honestly. I don't like to sleep.” 

“Why not?” _Depressed people usually love to sleep._

“I… why do you care?” 

“No real reason. Just being friendly. I won't ask if you don't want me to,” Lou said.

“All right,” Nico replied.

Will came back into the main infirmary and before he could say anything Lou had dragged him out again.

Nico drank his soda quietly. He liked Lou, but he didn't like how secretive she and Will had been in the last few days.

Will re-entered the infirmary. Nico didn't look at him. Will thought he looked a bit sad. Will sat gently on the edge of his bed. “Hey.” 

“What do you need, Solace?” 

“Are you okay?” 

“Yes, I'm fine!” Nico snapped.

Will huffed frustratedly. “No, you're not. You're sad. You're sitting here and you're sad, Nico!” 

"Go to Hades, Solace, I'm not sad!” Nico yelled. 

Will jumped back. “I- okay. No. You need to stop constantly hiding your feelings. You'll feel better if you come out of the shadows. You're sad about something, what is it?” 

“... Were you and Lou talking about me?” Nico asked.

 _Oh. He's afraid we were insulting him behind his back._ “Yeah, we talked about you, but only to say that you weren't… that I may have been trying to come onto you too hard,” Will managed. 

“... Oh. Okay,” Nico replied. Will grabbed his hand and squoze it. Nico jerked away, feeling butterflies in his stomach that he wanted gone.

“Okay, okay. I won't touch you anymore.” 

“You keep saying that, but you never fulfill, and it’s getting annoying.” 

"I'm sorry. I… just feel bad for you… and I want to make you feel better…”

“Yeah. You're a healer. It's your job. It's in your _blood._ And also, I've noticed something about you. You care too much.”

“Wha-what do you mean?” Will asked. He’d been insulted before, but this was a new one on him.

“What I mean is, you get too attached to people. You learn all about them, are kind to them, comfort them, love them up and where does that get you? I'm not sure but I'm willing to guess that it brings you nothing but sadness when they die.”

“... I can save most of them. And as for the others…” Will’s face darkened a little.

“See, it just brings you sadness! Why do you even still care? Why do you even still try?” 

“...Because even if the person dies, it still feels better to know that I tried and failed than to know that I never tried.” 

“...I can see that logic, but “trying” just means you did all you could _medically._ Why do you care about getting to know these people? By the time they’re an hour out of this infirmary they'll be saying you're a- you're a loser who can't fight-” 

Will interrupted him. “You may be right, I can’t fight and I am kind of a loser but this is the only place where I _can_ get to know people. I mean, look at how much I now know about you.”

Nico gave Will a long look. “At least you get to know them when they're still alive.” 

"... Yeah… That's why you should stay with me, honestly. You'll meet people. Friends. Friends are a nice thing to have.” 

“... Friends aren't something I need,” Nico replied. 

Will polished his scalpel on his shirt, ripping a little hole in the bottom. He sighed heavily. “Are friends something you want? Because you have people who want to be your friend.”

Nico scoffed. “Name three.” 

“Okay. Jason, Reyna, and me.”

“... Name three more.”

“Lou, Cecil, and the Roman praetor whose name I forget, the Asian dude.”

“... Frank. His name is Frank Zhang and he's dating my little sister Hazel.” 

“Oh, okay. Glad to know his name.” _And not to hit on him._

“Mm-hm.”

The dinner horn blew. “I'll get you some food, okay?” 

“...Mmmkay,” Nico grunted. Exhaustion echoed in his hollow, sunken eyes. 

“I know you want to rest, but you have to eat before you sleep, doctor's orders. You're just too underweight. If you were mortal, half your organs would have failed by now and you’d be hooked up to tubes in a hospital…”

Nico cut him off with a grumbled “Just go get the food.” Will thought he'd heard Nico give a little rasping chuckle at the end of that. He thought it was a bit creepy, but cute at the same time. Dark, cute and misunderstood. That was Nico to Will.

Will met up with Lou and Cecil at the dining pavilion. Cecil greeted him with a smirk. 

"Hey, how’s my best of bros? Word on the street is that you're chasing the son of Hades,” Cecil snarked. He sipped his Orange Crush and snickered again. Lou put her hand in his pocket and pulled out a packet of Mike and Ikes.

"I'm doing fine, Cecil,” Will replied in response to his sass. “And the word on the street is that _you are_ chasing that girl from Hypnos, the one who calls herself Fantasia? Sounds like the title of a video game,” Will laughed. 

“Or a porno,” Lou suggested through a mouthful of Mike and Ikes.

“Shut up, you idiots, I think it’s pretty,” Cecil said defensively. “Besides, she’s not really a crush, I just think she’s pretty.”

“Alright, you three, go to your tables,” their old centaur teacher, Chiron, scolded as he trotted up to them. “Will, I’d like to have a word with you, if you don't mind. Grab your and Nico’s food, do your sacrifices and meet me in the Big House. I promise it will be brief.”

Will did as he was told. After giving the food to Nico and explaining the situation, he joined Chiron in the living room of the Big House. 

“So, I can't help but notice the level of care you're taking with your new ah… patient,” Chiron started. He took a sip of his tea. “Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like some tea?” he offered.

“.... No thanks, Chiron. I'm not thirsty. And I care for all my patients. Why should this one be any different?”

“I meant, you've never kept someone with no noticeable physical injuries in the infirmary for any period of time, let alone days.” 

“Nico overdid himself. I've contained him to heal him from that. Besides, you know Nico di Angelo is risky- in more ways than one. He'll flee at the first possible moment, he told me so. Besides, he's a risk to himself. He's so, so close to starving, I don't know how his organs haven't failed yet. He must have a very strong will to live, or at least to not die by starvation.

“He's also a potential risk to others, have you heard the rumor of him killing that Roman through sheer willpower? You can see why I'd want to contain him. I really don’t think he actually did anything or ever would do anything, but the point still stands. He needs me,” Will finished. 

“But you also think he is… attractive?”

“... Maybe, but why does it matter?”

“Because... you may be setting yourself up for yet another horrendous failure of a relationship. I fear that… I fear that he's been through so much that he's not capable of being the kind of boyfriend you want. He’s not… _cuddly_ like you are, and I’m not sure if his damage is reversible enough for him to become cuddly.”

“I can help Nico! He accepts my affection, sometimes! I can work with him, he won't hurt me, I swear! Besides, I know he's kind, and even cuddly, under all of the bullshit he exudes. I've seen it myself.” 

“Will, my boy… I just want to make sure you don't get hurt. I almost pine for your previous… infatuation.” 

“Oh, that's over, Chiron. That's been over. It's old news, I promise you. Besides, he and I can’t even look at each other anymore now. We couldn’t be a thing no matter what happens with Nico.”

“I will take your word for it, Will. Now go take care of your patient.”

Will walked quickly back to the infirmary. He didn't want to hear Chiron insult his Nico anymore. He was _going_ to get Nico to date him eventually. He knew that. He could and would do it. He was getting tired of becoming so fucking _frustrated_ whenever he saw Nico. He was getting tired of looking.

When he got there, he saw Nico nibbling on a slice of pizza. Nico did not see Will enter. Will sat on the edge of the cot next to his and watched the teen eat. Nico seemed lost in thought. 

“What’cha thinkin’ about?” Will asked. Nico gasped and choked on his food. Will pounded his back as he coughed. As soon as he could freely breathe again, he spoke.

“Ugh. I'm sorry,” Nico started. 

“No need to be. I surprised you. It was my fault, _I'm_ sorry,” Will replied.

“Th-thanks. You're forgiven and I'm sorry. I was thinking about Hazel, that's why I was lost in thought.”

“Oh. And don't apologise, you don't have to feel bad about coughing. I've seen worse, I promise,” Will chuckled. He thought he heard Nico give a cough. He patted Nico's back again.

“That… um… wasn't a cough.” _It really has been a long time since I last laughed. It… kind of hurt, honestly. I guess my body and lungs just don't do that._

“Okay, good,” Will replied. “Um… you're not asthmatic or anything, are you?” _That might explain the raspiness in his breathing that I heard earlier._

“No. I'm okay, Will. Really, I'm fine.”

Will, responding to the almost palpable awkwardness, decided to change the subject. “So, how’s Hazel doing? What's she like as a person? I hardly know her…”

“I… don't quite know how she's doing. I think she's okay. If Frank knows what's good for him, she is.”

“So you're very protective of her.”

“Y-yeah. Or at least I try to be. Or no, that came out wrong. I try to protect her, but not restrict her, because then she’ll run away and die, or hate me, and that's the last thing I want.”

“I see.” 

“Yeah. She and I have different powers, though. She can sense and summon metals and gems in the ground.” 

“Cool! Tell me more.”

“She prefers horses to any other species on the planet, and she likes gumbo. I think she may have stolen one of my leather jackets, because I swear I left an extra in the Hades cabin after construction was finished but now it isn't there. She's a bigger hero than I am. She killed a giant with Frank, saved Percy Jackson when Annabeth wasn't around to do it (also with Frank), and saved both of them from the Amazons. She’s awesome.” 

Will was surprised by how quickly Nico’s hands started gesturing to accent his words, almost like he was speaking his own sign language. He also noticed that Nico was smiling, and he wondered if maybe he should snap a blurry picture, like people did when they thought they saw unicorns, or Bigfoot, or aliens, or the Loch Ness Monster.

Nico continued. “Hazel can't use death powers like I can, but she and I both can feel it when someone dies. I'm not sure if she can shadow-travel, but I'm willing to try to teach her. She's Roman, a centurion. She's a really good artist, as well.”

“Oh, is she?”

“Yes. Maybe I can get her to draw you next time she's here. We're gonna visit each other, we promised.”

“That's nice! I'd like to take you two up on that.” 

“I'll talk to her about it.”

“You know, Nico,” Will started. “I've never heard you talk or smile this much before now.” 

Nico didn't respond, and at first Will thought he'd said something wrong. Then Nico took a heavy breath and responded. “There just isn't much to smile about, honestly."

Will understood that. Being the eternal optimist, he said “Well… Maybe there'll be more to smile about in the future.” 

“... Yeah. I'm hoping for that too, Will.”

They sat for a moment in comfortable silence. Will kept looking at Nico. Nico’s eyes closed and his facial muscles relaxed. _He's tired,_ Will thought. _Should I help him lie down, or would he kill me? I'll help him down and see._ Will gently put one hand on Nico's chest and one arm around his back. Nico stiffened.

“It's okay. I'm just helping you lie down, okay?” 

To Will's surprise, Nico didn't yell at him. In fact, he relaxed and _let_ Will lie him down. Nico pulled the blankets up over himself and closed his eyes. 

“Goodnight, Nico,” Will whispered. “I'll check on you after campfire.”

Nico felt a stir in his gut. He was still warm where Will had touched him. Nico had never had someone with no blood relation to him treat him with this much care. Reyna had been a very kind friend, but if she were in charge he’d do maybe one day of infirmary time, maybe less, depending on when she thought he was strong enough to fight again.

Nico felt angry at himself for liking Will… or at least the idea of Will. Nico _hated_ the way the medic restricted him, undermined him. At the same time, he felt good, because it made him feel more… _normal._ Will treated him like any other demigod. He teased and poked, joked and criticized. He also comforted Nico every time he thought he needed it. He was always just _there,_ and even though it was often annoying Nico would be lying if he said he disliked it, at least not to the point of wanting to live entirely without it. Nico owed Will, big time. _Medics. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em._

Will sat at the campfire, laughing as he watched Jason Grace and Piper McLean duet “Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down. Piper was an excellent singer. Jason was not. Piper was laughing too, by the end of the song. In contrast, Jason looked like he wanted to jump off a cliff. 

Lou elbowed Will. “Jason's kinda cute, isn't he?” 

“Mm. Never really thought about it,” Will replied. “He's got a nice face, I guess.”

“Are there any more requests for songs?” Chiron announced, clopping his hoof on the podium. Will grinned. He’d had an idea. 

“Cecil Markowitz should sing “Girl All the Bad Guys Want” by Bowling for Soup!” Will yelled. Cecil gave him a look, but he went to the podium. He cleared his throat as the music started.

Will smiled. Despite all the other girls Cecil had gone after, Will had always known that Cecil had always been in love with Lou Ellen, hardcore, despite any other crushes he may develop. Cecil had even changed a few of the lyrics in this song to fit her. “Fishnets on, and dreadlocks in her hair” became “Camp beads on, and dirt smudged in her hair.” In addition to this, making Cecil sing at campfire was always extremely amusing because Cecil, for all of his strong points, absolutely could not sing. Cecil's dying-dolphin singing voice was always good for a few quick laughs.

Lou was blushing. She’d known that Cecil had been going for her, but she thought that was over now that he’d started talking about other girls. Besides, Cecil was one of her best friends. They had been raised together. He was a very constant force in her life, and she did not think she wanted to date him and risk ruining that. As the song ended, Cecil bolted off the podium and sat back down next to Lou..

“I'm sorry, Lou,” Cecil mumbled, embarrassed.

“‘S fine,” she responded.

Some time later, campfire ended. _Will seems in a hurry to get back to the infirmary,_ Lou thought. Lou followed him back to his practical second home and waited. Will sat next to Nico, who appeared to be asleep. Lou started to cast a glamour, just to make her invisible so she could get closer.

“Psst! Lou!” Cecil’s voice interrupted her chanting.

“Whaddya want, Cecil?” she whisper-snapped. 

“Can I get in on this? I am the Hermes kid, after all.” 

“Sure, sure.” Lou cast a glamour over them both and they quietly slipped into the room, together.

Will looked at Nico’s sleeping face. He hoped Nico wasn't in some horrible place right now, like he’d wound up in the last two nights. Will quietly put his hand on the side of Nico’s head and stroked his hair. _Gods, it's soft. I'm glad I made him comb it._ “I hope you know that I'll always help you out after the nightmares come, okay?” he whispered. Nico smiled slightly in his sleep. Will wanted to kiss Nico _so badly,_ it felt like a need. However, Will Solace did not have a death wish, nor did he want to make Nico uncomfortable, so he refrained. 

Lou and Cecil saw how gently Will was treating Nico. “Ah, man,” Cecil whispered. “I'd hoped we were about to walk in on them kissing or something.” 

“Shut up, Cecil. Will's doing the right thing.”

“I can hear you two, you know,” Will grumped. Lou retracted the glamour. 

“Sorry, buddy…” Cecil tried.

“Get out!” 

In his sleep, Nico couldn't control the nightmarish memories anymore. Whispering voices in the night made him weak, even though he couldn't hear what they were saying. He saw the hotel room where his mother sat, and she smiled tenderly at him. Then lightning made the scene go blank. Then he was in Tartarus, figures rising out of the shadows, his arms bound, his legs too weak to go on. Then he was in the jar again, trapped, unable to move. No air to breathe, couldn't breathe, couldn't scream. Someone was yelling at him to get out, but he couldn't see. The voice had a similar tone as Percy's, but Nico couldn't hear the distinct New York accent that characterized Percy's voice. The voice burst the jar, and two titanesque figures were standing over him. “Well, well,” Figure One said. “What have we here?” Then the nightmare shifted. A bloody, beat-up Hazel, limping towards him. She fell into his arms and lay there, limply, dead. Nico screamed into the darkness of his nightmares. He’d seen too much, way too much. He was alone in the dark, and couldn't wake up. He saw his mother's body, Bianca’s retreating back. He saw Hazel, sweet, beautiful Hazel, looking at him with angry, judgemental eyes. He wanted to beg her not to be mad at him, even though he didn't know what he had done. He saw Hades’s anger, heard his words. “I wish you had died instead of Bianca!” Those words, those same words that he had said to Percy all those years ago, broke him. Nico hiccuped, feeling tears begin to slip. 

Will heard a hiccuping sound, even through his arguing with Lou and Cecil. He turned back to his patient as Lou and Cecil made their exits. He saw Nico hugging his legs in his sleep. His face was contorted and he was gasping. Will shook the sleeper, hard. Nico jerked.

Nico felt someone pulling him up out of the pit, saw light above him. The sun, he thought. Or- no, whoops, never mind, Will. _It's just Will,_ he thought. _Will’s so beautiful,_ he thought, despite himself. _Like the sun, so bright and warm._

Will was saying something, something Nico didn't understand. He was stroking Nico’s hair, gently. Nico reached up and grabbed Will's hand, fighting back nausea. He would never have admitted it, but he needed an anchor. He felt like he was falling, and he needed someone to keep him from disappearing into the abyss for good. Will squoze his hand and a grin stretched across his face, a gentle one. Nico’s nerves subsided and his discomfort eased. Suddenly letting Will hold his hand didn't seem like such a big deal. _It's okay,_ he thought. It sounded like Will was whispering in his head. _No one rejected you. No one's rejecting you for liking other guys. See? And even when you tell Hazel, she’s gonna be cool about it too. Besides, look at all the people you have. You have Jason… Reyna… both people who know and still care. And Will. You have Will now._

Meanwhile, Will had done a little Apollo magic. He’d taken on one half of Nico’s pain. It was a power he rarely talked about, and now he was struggling to keep it together. _How does Nico live like this? I feel like I'm suffocating, it hurts so bad._ Will took a breath. _You can hurt later. You still have a patient to take care of. Nico’s the important thing now._

Will saw that Nico’s eyes had glazed over, and that his mental state was fractured. Nico didn't appear nauseous anymore, though, which was an improvement from the last two nights.

Nico relaxed as the burden lifted. “Th-Thank you,” Nico managed.

“‘S my pleasure, Nico. I'm doing this out of caring. I care about you. I like you.”

There. The bombshell had been dropped. He had said it. His heart was pounding out of his chest.

“Like as in friend, or like as in…” Nico curved his fingers into a heart shape. 

“... Both,” Will blurted. “I'm sorry. I'm probably making you uncomfortable. I'll shut up now.”

“Good, because no one likes a liar,” Nico replied.

“I wasn't lying, Nico. I don't lie about these kinds of things. Ever. Okay?” Will responded. ”I'm not saying that I want you to date me if you don't want to date me. I thought you should just know that I like you.” 

“And you'll understand if I continue to think you're lying.”

"Not at all, but I understand self-esteem issues.”

"And I understand wanting to clear the air about a crush.”

“I'm glad. I don't know why I felt I had to confess that to you. I mean… are you even… into guys?” _Goddammit, I should have figured that out before I confessed._

“... Um…” Nico blushed. “Uh.” It was a few minutes before he found his voice. _If Will experiences the same feelings, then he won't hate me for them,_ he thought. “Yeah. Yeah, I am.” 

Will let out an audible sigh of relief. “I'm glad. It would have been kind of awkward if you weren't.”

Nico let out a little wheeze of laughter. “Yeah, it really would have.”

There was a moment of warm silence before Will spoke again. “... Hey, do you want to hang out tomorrow? There's a convenience store about a mile out of camp, you want to hang out there?”

Nico felt his heart and stomach go fluttery. He knew he was blushing. “... Sure, that would be nice,” Nico replied. 

Will heard the shyness in Nico’s voice. He silently vowed to warm Nico and open him up.

“Then let’s go,” Will said, giving Nico’s hand a squeeze. “Not now, though. Now you should really try and go back to sleep.”

Nico obliged him and drifted into a dreamless, gentle sleep while holding Will’s hand.


	6. Epilogue

Two teenage boys walked into a convenience store in New York State. One had blond hair, the other had black hair. The shorter, black-haired one looked like an emo. The blond looked like the exact opposite. The blond bought two bottles of Gatorade for the two of them, and they exited the store, together. On their way out, the clerk smiled when she saw the blond try to squeeze the other boy's hand and get swatted lightly for his efforts.

They looked like a nice couple. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short length of this chapter. I was debating on whether or not to even put it in at all.   
> Anyway, that was "Infirmary!" I hope you enjoyed. I'll have more good stuff on the way. I'm hoping my next one will feature more of our sea boy himself, but I can't make any promises.

**Author's Note:**

> This WILL have more chapters. I'm just having issues getting it to say that. I don't know why it won't let me.


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